A man branded a controlling bully by a crown court judge has been jailed for two and a half years for waging a “campaign of terror” against his former partner.

The case against Wrexham man Nathan Robert Edwards was unusual because the victim, Hayley Crocombe, told the jury at Mold Crown Court that nothing had happened.

But she was treated as a hostile witness by prosecuting barrister Simon Rogers who spent some time putting to her the allegations which she had detailed in a seven page statement of complaint to the police.

That told how he had punched her, head-butted her, cut chunks out of her hair with a knife, and would not let her leave her home at one stage.

She once escaped through a window after he went on the rampage, damaged her bedroom and threatened to cut the cat’s head off.

Edwards, 23, of Australia Street in Ponciau, denied assault and making a threat to kill her.

But he was convicted by the jury of assault, cleared of making a threat to kill, and jailed for two and a half years.